Giving Compass' Take:

• The author discusses how Amazon HQ2 will impact the transit systems and how government officials plan to address transportation issues within the communities that will be the most affected. 

• How can community leaders work with city officials to work on alternative transit options and/or solutions?

• Read about five lessons we can learn from the Amazon headquarters search. 

With the news now official that Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2) will be split between New York City and Arlington County, VA, transportation planners are already looking ahead to how the localities will cope with the expected influx of people and jobs.

Both localities will add 25,000 jobs apiece, with Nashville, TN also set to benefit from a new Operations Center of Excellence that will bring 5,000 jobs, but some have warned that already strained transportation systems in these regions may struggle to cope.

One of the cornerstones of the successful bids was an emphasis on public transportation, and officials are betting the investments they have already made will pay dividends and help their cities cope with more workers. In Arlington’s bid, which it put forward in collaboration with the city of Alexandria, VA in a joint Northern Virginia effort, it notes New York City and the Washington, DC metropolitan area are both ranked as top cities that commute by means other than driving alone. According to their cited statistics from the American Community Survey, 49.8% of New Yorkers do not rely on driving, while that figure is 34.2% in DC.

But both cities have faced criticism for the standard of their public transit offerings, as well as concerns they will not be able to cope with the influx of people. New York’s subway has suffered from a lack of funding for maintenance and now is set for an ambitious recovery plan, while in Washington, the Metrorail system has faced similar criticism.

Some bold new ideas have also surfaced for transit. David Alpert, the founder of nonprofit advocacy group Greater Greater Washington, called for what he described as “Metro Express” to bolster transit around DC and make more use of commuter rail services that connect to Virginia and Maryland.

Read the full article about how HQ2 will affect transit by Chris Teale at Smart Cities Dive